Martin
Our plans for next year
We are excited to share with you that we have decided to give a year of our lives to work in the inner-city. Starting in September, we will be moving to Atlanta, GA to begin this new chapter in our lives. During the course of the year, we will spend our time volunteering 20-35 hours/week for agencies in the community and developing loving relationships with our neighbors. We are so eager to learn how to serve God’s people with love and through practical acts of service.
We have been praying and thinking about Mission Year since before our engagement in 2005, and we feel we can not pass up the chance to do something bold for God! Through both our jobs and volunteer experiences with organizations in Lafayette such as Habitat for Humanity and Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC), we have realized the need in our city for people to reach out to those that need support and practical help. We would now like to take our service a step further by learning more about the issues and culture of the inner-city and what it is to “do life” with the people there. We desire to better understand how the social and economic gaps that have been created in our society have developed. We know our lives will be changed by the relationships we develop and the lessons we will learn from our neighbors. We also hope to be used by God to share His love with others and to leave with a greater working knowledge of how we can advocate for the needy even after Mission Year is done.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Martin's Blog
Sporting events and driving lessons / May 6, 11:26 AM
Hello everyone. Well I did not keep my promise from the last blog. It has been a couple weeks since my last entry. I will try and do more of a weekly thing if I can.
Everything is going pretty good. I have been busy with writing papers and studying for the GMAT plus still trying to find time to be with neighbors. Some days are better than others. One great opportunity that I have had in our community recently is giving some basic driving lessons to one of the Sudanese teenagers from our church named Nok. He is sophomore at the local high school and is a great runner. A couple of weeks ago Zen and I had the privilege of going to his regional track meet. He was running the 800M and did great in the qualifying heat posting the second best time however in the final race twisted his ankle so he did not qualify for state. He was disappointed but knows he will have another chance next year.
Driving with Nok has been a good experience. We just joke around and talk about life a little. He is getting better at driving and we don’t have too many close calls (sometimes I will admit I am a little nervous) but he is picking it up. This has been a great opportunity to get to know Nok better and just help him out with learning how to drive. We have been going out about once a week and I hope to do a few more lessons before he takes the driving test. So please keep Nok in your prayers that he can get his license and be able to get a good summer job. He is a good friend and I hope I can help him out a little.
One big need I have noticed since being in Clarkston and going to some sporting events is the lack of interest in the local high school sports by the community. I know this is also a problem in most inner-city schools. Most parents can not attend because of work or having other children to take care of. So it is common to have very few people at the games. Wherever Zen and I end up living I really want to adopt the local high school and become their biggest fan. I really want to support the local youth by attending their games and getting others to come with me. It not only to encourage the athletes but it creates a stronger community among parents and neighbors. Now if I can just turn that into a job I am set.
Well I guess that is all for now. Please feel free to respond by posting a message on our blog. I am not sure if anyone is reading it anymore (except Ben Phillips) but oh well.
Talk to you all later.
Nate
What is next? / Apr 15, 10:18 AM
Hello everyone,
Well the final trimester of Mission Year has now begun. The year has flown by and I am sure these last 3 ½ months will do the same. This last week we did get a spring break which was very nice and relaxing. It was a great time to rejuvenate for the final stretch of Mission Year. During our break we traveled around Georgia a little and saw the mountains in North Georgia and spend a few days in Savannah. Then we stayed at a friends’ apartment while they were out of town. So we were able to relax with out the constant knocking on our door from neighborhood children.
We are still tossing around ideas for what is next for us once Mission Year is done. We are blessed with some good options but it is difficult to decide what to do next. One of the options we have is for me to go back to school and get a masters degree from Eastern University. I am currently taking a class through Eastern but I am trying to decide if I want to pursue the degree or not. There is a lot to get done if I do want to go back to school. I have two papers due in the next two months plus I am beginning to study for the GMAT which I need to get into the MBA program at Eastern. I feel that I can accomplish these things but it makes it difficult to be apart of my neighborhood while having to study and do the regular Mission Year schedule. I am hoping that in these next few months that everything becomes clearer and that we have a clear vision of where we are going. We will just have to see where God takes us.
Well I am going to keep this entry short and hopefully give you another update next week. Please continue to check our blog and feel free to post a message saying hi.
Nate
Tornado in Atlanta... / Mar 19, 03:48 PM
Hey Everyone! I am writing everyone to let you all know that Nate and I are doing well and we’re safe and sound. The city of Clarkston, where we live, was left unscathed after Friday’s tornado thank God. Everyone on my team is doing well. Downtown Atlanta however sustained a lot of damage from the storm.
I just want to testify to how good God is and how He watches over us. Nate and I and two of our teammates were walking around Centennial Olympic Park Friday night looking at a photography exhibit It was close to 10 o’clock. Then we spotted lightening and decided to head for the train station. We passed Phillips Arena and the CNN center, both of which were damaged in the storm. So, we were above ground literally about 10 minutes before the storm hit. While we waited for our train, the power went out (when the tornado hit) and the train was taking an unusually long time to show up. A train ride that usually takes 20 minutes took us a little over one hour due to us having to stop frequently because of debris on the train tracks. We didn’t even find out there was a tornado until Troy called his boss and she told us a tornado had hit the city. We are so grateful that we are safe. Nate and I went back into the city on Saturday to see what damage had been done and it was pretty bad. Two of the Olympic torches standing in Centennial Park were ripped out of their foundations, a brick building torn apart, cars smashed by bill boards, broken glass, and hotels missing windows. It looks really bad and there is a lot of work to be done. Please pray for the city , those who can not get to work, those who were injured and some who died, and all those who will labor in the months ahead to restore the city to it’s previous state.
We love you guys and hope you enjoy reading the newsletters we sent out for March.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Zeny
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Just saying hello / Mar 13, 03:13 PM
As usual I have waited a long time to do another blog entry. I think part of the reason is I always feel I need to write something really thought provoking. It is nice when I can, but sometimes you just need to say hello and give a little update. So here is a nice little update.
Zen and I are doing well. With the warmer weather starting in Georgia our neighborhood becomes more and more busy with children playing outside. We have met many of these children and their families. It is amazing how quickly you can become part of a community when you just take the time to care for some kids. I remember my father telling me that one of the greatest gifts of being a father was after having a rough day at work coming home and your children running to greet you as you are getting out of your car with excited hellos and big hugs. Lately I have been able to get a glimpse of what it is like. When I get off the bus after a long day and long commute home I come walking through the apartment complex and if the kids spot me or anyone else from our house they come running. They start yelling your name and greet you with big smiles and hugs. They are so happy to see you when all you have done is just come home. That kind of love is so sweet because the reason they are so happy to see you is deep down they know you care for them and love them and they are so happy you are there. Though they can not express their feelings with words their affection and love speak volumes. I am so thankful that God has given me these moments and I pray that just like how those children embrace me for just being present I hope that I to can embrace my heavenly father the same way because He is always there and will never stop loving me.
I hope everyone out there is doing well and please don’t forget you can always leave a comment on our blog. It doesn’t have to be anything special just say hello.
Nate
Prayers and Conversations on Public Transportation / Feb 19, 09:34 AM
Ministry of prayer and presence
One of the many blessings and sometimes curses is taking the public transportation in Atlanta called MARTA. I get to work most mornings by taking the bus. It is not the most efficient or convenient way but it gets me there. I have been frustrated with it at times when a bus is running late or there is something wrong with the train and everyone is asked to get off and wait for the next one. However public transportation can offer some unique interactions with many different kinds of people. You can find rich, poor, black, and white all mixed together in a crowded bus or train. You hear people talking on the phone or with each other about their weekends or who they hooked up with (sometimes you hear too much detail). But you can also hear some personal stories about peoples’ struggles in life. I have had some very interesting experiences on the bus.
Once I had a great conversation with a Jamaican man who shared with me his experiences in the US and his take on our political and social situations and how God should play a part in it. He also shared some of his struggles from when he first moved to America and the situations he had to work through.
Another time while we were on our way home, Zeny and I began to talk with a woman on the bus after she saw a book we were reading called Jesus and the Disinherited (I suggest reading it). She began to share with us her story about how God has helped her be clean from drugs for almost 90 days and how she was in a rehab program. She shared her hope of having her 10 year old son come live with her again some time in the future. She showed us his picture and talked about how proud she was of him. We encouraged her and told her we would keep her in our prayers, as we got off the bus.
Another example was a few days ago when I overheard a phone conversation on the bus of a young mother with her two children talking to a friend. She was sharing about how she was broke and had no job or money right now and did not know what she was going to do. She did not have food in the fridge and was on her way to try and get her food stamps started up again. She also talked about how the father of her children wasn’t paying child support and might be going to jail soon. She was on the phone the whole time so I didn’t get a chance to talk with her and get her name or see if I could help so I prayed.
These experiences are sometimes great but many are sad and frustrating because you feel so helpless and you don’t know what to do. So you just have to pray and offer some encouragement. Though these stories are difficult to hear, I thank God for a chance to hear them. One of the problems that many of us Christians have today is that we have very little or no contact with the poor and oppressed. It might be because of where we live and who we interact with that we have limited contact with the poor. It might also be a fear of the poor that keeps us away, because we assume they will harm us or steal from us. As a result, we miss out on understanding them and getting the opportunity to experience compassion for others. Throughout the New Testament we read of Jesus having compassion on the poor and the sick but to do that He had to be WITH them. He was present with those in need. Many times we sing songs about wanting to be close to God or wanting to be a witness for God. The answer is to be with the least of those in society. God says that “what you do to the least of these you do unto me”.
I hope what I wrote does not come off as prideful like Zeny and I are “better” because we are experiencing these things. Really it is out of humbleness that we have realized our self made bubbles that have kept us from experiencing compassion and a chance to serve others. We hope that this blog encourages you to volunteer at places that put you in contact with those whom society has labeled useless or a burden. That maybe you can take the bus once in a while in your city and experience a conversation with someone and share each others’ life experiences and let compassion and grace flow out of it. You never know, God just might use someone on the bus or at the local homeless shelter to speak to you.
